NFIB Weekly News
Leading the News
Small Businesses Join Amicus Brief Challenging Agency Defiance (10/06/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 6, 2025) – NFIB filed an amicus brief in the case Ohio Telecom Association, et al. v. Federal Communications Commission, et al. at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The case asks whether federal agencies can reissue regulations that Congress previously overturned under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). NFIB joined the Washington Legal Foundation in filing the brief, which challenges the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) disregard for Congress’ repeal of a previous, nearly identical consumer privacy rule.
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A seasonally adjusted 32% of small business owners report unfilled job openings (10/02/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 2, 2025) – NFIB’s September jobs report found that 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in September, unchanged from August. The last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (unchanged), and 13% have openings for unskilled labor (unchanged).
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Small Businesses Support Legislation to Prevent Energy Bans (09/23/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 23, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives in support of H.R. 3699, the Energy Choice Act, legislation that would prohibit state and local governments from banning energy services based on the type or source of energy, thereby reducing energy costs and ensuring that small businesses nationwide have a choice in their energy provider.
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New NFIB White Paper: Looming Labor Threats That Could Decimate Small Businesses and Their Workforce (09/15/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 15, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released a new White Paper titled, “Direct Assault on Main Street: Looming Labor Threats That Could Decimate Small Businesses and Their Workforce.” The paper explores the bipartisan labor policy threats facing small businesses and their workforce.
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NFIB: Major Win for Main Street as FinCEN Promises to Destroy Small Business Beneficial Owner Data... (09/10/2025)
Congressional Letter Led by Senator Jim Banks, Congressman Warren Davidson Was Key Step in Protecting America’s Small Businesses
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 10, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, released the following statement from NFIB President Brad Close in response to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announcement that they will destroy the data previously submitted by U.S. small business owners who were forced to comply with the Corporate Transparency Act’s unconstitutional and invasive Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reporting rule, and that FinCEN will issue a final rule by the end of the year.
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NFIB Releases New Ads Thanking Congress for Making the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction Permanent (08/22/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Aug. 22, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, today released new radio, digital and billboard advertisements thanking Congress for taking action to make the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction permanent.
The multi-platform campaign, which represents a continuation of NFIB’s multi-year advocacy effort in support of the Small Business Deduction, is running on radio, digital, and billboards in states across the country. The ads thank Congress for voting to make the deduction permanent and for stopping a massive tax hike on small business owners.
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Business Climate
Small Business Optimism Continues Climb in August (09/22/2025)
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index continues to rise with a slight increase of 0.5 points in August to 100.8, nearly three points above the 52-year average of 98. An increase in those expecting real sales to be higher is the biggest contributor. For the second straight month, labor quality remains as the top issue for small businesses, with 21% of respondents reporting it as their single most important problem, the same percentage as July’s report.
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NEW NFIB SURVEY: Small Business Optimism Improves Again (09/09/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Sept. 9, 2025) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.5 points in August to 100.8, nearly 3 points above the 52-year average of 98. Of the 10 Optimism Index components, four increased, four decreased, and two were unchanged. The increase in those expecting real sales to be higher contributed the most to the rise in the Optimism Index. The Uncertainty Index fell by 4 points to 93 but remained well above the historical average. The decline was due to a decrease in uncertainty about financing expectations and planned capital expenditures.
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NFIB Launches Small Business Deduction Thank You Ads for Lawmakers (09/02/2025)
Making the 20% Small Business Tax Deduction permanent has been one of the biggest wins for small businesses in recent years. This massive achievement was made possible by the tireless efforts of the small business community urging lawmakers to provide critical tax relief for nearly 33 million small businesses. NFIB’s launch of digital, billboard, and radio ads thank Congress for preventing a massive tax hike for our nation’s small businesses.
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Small Businesses Urge Congress to Pass Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act (08/19/2025)
Small businesses widely rely on STLD health insurance plans to provide coverage for employees. The current one-size-fits-all restrictions eliminate affordable options for small businesses and their employees. NFIB sent letters of support to the U.S. House and Senate urging them to pass the Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act for better health care choices for small businesses.
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Small Businesses Make Progress Against Regulatory Burdens (08/19/2025)
As NFIB continues its fight to eliminate harmful regulations and overreach impacting small businesses, there have been significant developments in several recent legal cases. Learn more about the implications of these critical cases facing small businesses.
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Main Street Business Owners Report Improving Conditions (08/12/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 12, 2025) – The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 1.7 points in July to 100.3, slightly above the 52-year average of 98. Contributing most to the rise in the Optimism Index were respondents reporting better business conditions and reporting that it is a good time to expand. In contrast to the Optimism Index, the Uncertainty Index increased by eight points from June to 97. Twenty-one percent of small business owners reported labor quality as their single most important problem, up five points from June and ranking as the top problem.
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Wages and Benefits
E-Verify for Small Businesses: Tips and Tools for Verifying Employment Eligibility (09/09/2025)
E-Verify is a free, online system that lets employers electronically verify the employment eligibility of new hires and ensure compliance with federal immigration laws. It works alongside Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to confirm a person’s identity and employment authorization. By comparing information from Form I-9 with records from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), E-Verify helps ensure a legal workforce, protects American jobs, and prevents identity theft and fraud in hiring.
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Job openings were the highest in construction, manufacturing, and transportation (09/04/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 4, 2025) – NFIB’s August jobs report found that 32% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in August, down 1 point from July. The last time unfilled job openings fell below 32% was in July 2020. Twenty-eight percent have openings for skilled workers (down 1 point), and 13% have openings for unskilled labor (up 1 point).
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Tips to Avoid Five Most Common HR Mistakes (08/04/2025)
Maintaining a happy and productive workplace requires structure and guidance. Many claims, lawsuits, and issues in business are avoidable with proper attentiveness. Watch this webinar featuring Beth Milito, Vice President and Executive Director of the NFIB Small Business Legal Center to learn more.
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NFIB Jobs Report: Labor Shortages Continue to Constrain Small Business Job Growth (05/01/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 1, 2025) – NFIB’s April jobs report found that 34% (seasonally adjusted) of small business owners reported job openings they could not fill in April, down six points from March, the lowest since January 2021.
“Small business owners remained open to hire and grow their workforce in April,” said Chief Economist Bill Dunkelberg. “While the percent of open positions decreased a bit, Main Street firms are still struggling to find qualified applicants for their plentiful open positions.”
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Health Care: Small Business Pays More, Gets Less (04/16/2025)
What it means: Affordable health care is essential for the success of America’s small businesses. Small business owner Marcie Strouse shared with lawmakers the various ways Congress can provide relief from rising costs.
Our take: “Small businesses are paying more and getting less. Small firms pay nearly twice as much for health insurance as large businesses. Unlike large corporations, small businesses lack the bargaining power to negotiate lower premiums,” said Josselin Castillo, NFIB Principal Federal Government Relations.
Take Action: It is time for Congress to provide immediate relief for millions of Americans. Urge your elected officials to make health care more accessible and affordable to small business owners.
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Small Businesses Support Legislation to Restart the PAID Program (03/26/2025)
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 26, 2025) – The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization, sent a letter to Rep. Glenn Grothman (WI-06) in strong support of his legislation, the Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act. This legislation would reinstate and codify the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) program, which provided small businesses flexibility to self-report and correct minor wage and hour violations before incurring a penalty.
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